Bloomberg News reports that Jim Jordan, the right-wing Republican Tuesday sought more time to build support as he bids to occupy the place of the speaker of the US House of Representatives after a shortfall in his first vote. This has raised questions about the prospects of winning the job.
More on Votes
There needs to be more 217 votes that are required to claim the gavel of the speaker. Jordan postponed the action until 11 AM ET Wednesday as he scrambled to pressure the 20 Republicans that did vote but against him.
What Did the Democrats Do?
The Democrats seized the Republican infighting which was prolonged to make the case congenial for a compromise candidate. This would enjoy the backing of the parties. It is a steep deviation from how Congress functions typically following the ouster of Kevin McCarthy on October 3rd.
What Does the Failed Vote of Tuesday Mean?
The failed vote of Tuesday indicates that the House is still without a leader. This has been the state ever since a few Republican insurgents removed McCarthy. This has left Congress irresponsive to the Middle East and Ukraine wars. It is just a month away from the time when the government in the US is about to face yet another deadline for a partial shutdown
In Comes Jordan
It still needs to be made clear whether or not Jordan who is a close ally of Donald Trump, the former President will be picking up more support or see his opposition grow Wednesday in a second vote.
In the first round, Jordan got 200 votes. This is the lowest McCarthy ever witnessed during the 15 voting rounds over four days in January.
Jordan has revealed that he has told the reporters he is in the process of making progress following several hours of closed-door meetings that took place with the Republicans.
Why was McCarthy Ousted?
The reason for McCarthy’s ouster was that he reached a deal with the Democrats towards the end of the last month to head off the 4th partial shutdown in the US government in almost 10 years. This gave rise to the present scenario of dysfunction.
In the event Jordan prevails, who has been a conservative and one that has spent many years fighting with the leaders of his group might end up being one of the most powerful people in Washington, wherein his chances of coming second in line for the presidency just after the vice president.
However, it means he must win over 20 Republicans who voted for other candidates. There are many moderates representing politically competitive districts. On the other hand, others have specialized in negotiating complex spending bills and have kept the US government deals that have demanded a willingness to show a compromise.
